In the Beginning: 100 Themes
by Arashinobara Jikkankakyoku
Summary: A series of short oneshots written in response to the hundred themes challenge, all set in the Silver Millennium and based around Serenity and Endymion.
1. Chocolate

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Chocolate**_

There was the most bewitching scent in the air.

Serenity's keen nose identified the savoury smells of some kind of meat stew, vegetable soup and rising bread. It was only to be expected; she was directly outside the Terran Palace's royal kitchens, after all, and the entire corridor smelled heavenly – but however hard she scoured her memory, the crystal-haired princess could not put a name to what she had scented. Feeling pointlessly annoyed, the fourteen-year-old Serenity sighed and continued her trek up to her best friend's rooms.

She made no effort to avoid being seen – Terran customs on propriety were quite silly to her mind. Why would she want to sneak about like a common thief simply because she wanted to see a friend? And what was so scandalous about a young man and woman together in the same room?

Serenity made a mental note to question Endy on what the entire point of chappy-row-ning was, but her train of thought was abruptly derailed as she smelled _it_ again. Picking up her long skirts to run through the halls – yet another thing that was frowned upon – did Terrans do nothing but think of pointless ways to hinder freedom of speech and action? – she skidded to a halt directly in front of the door leading to Endy's quarters.

The guards, now used to her frequent visits, gave the petite princess a grin and a wink apiece before stepping aside to allow her passage. She called her thanks over her shoulder before the doors swung shut and she scuttled about the large chambers, still looking for the source of the elusive smell.

Her eyes lit up as she pinpointed it to a small plate on which rested several chunks of a strange brown substance. Serenity gave a disappointed sigh. It didn't look at all remarkable… was it even edible? Curious now, she picked up one of the medium-sized pieces, inspecting it from all sides and turning it over in her hands.

Perhaps it was a perfume-dispenser like the rose-scented one Endy had on his desk; though his – constructed from ruby-tinted crystal and delicately-wrought gold wire – was much nicer to look at than these nondescript hunks of… stuff.

Serenity let out a dismayed yelp as she realised that whatever _it _was, _it_ was sticky, and gooey, and getting all over her hands. Though the sweet, full scent was stronger than ever, the miserable princess could only think of what her best friend would say when he saw that she had broken – or melted, or destroyed – something she had no business to be touching, curious or not.

As if on cue, her dark-haired friend appeared at the door to his study. Frozen with guilt, Serenity could only pick up the plate and offer it unhappily back to him, cringing as she saw how her dirty fingers smeared brown goo all over the flawless white porcelain.

Seventeen-year-old Endymion looked from the downcast face to the mess on the plate and had to smile. "I won't be angry if you eat some, you know," he said cheerfully.

Thrown off, Serenity merely blinked foolishly before raising a brown-smeared hand to inspect. "Eat?" she asked, feeling as if she must have missed some sort of detail.

Endymion leaned forward to take the upheld hand and held the brown-coated fingers to the younger girl's mouth, which made an 'o' of surprise before her expression contorted in disgust. "Yes, 'eat'. Try some! It's good, I promise –"

"You said that when you gave me… killy? Chully? That really spicy sauce –"

"Chilli," Endymion corrected absently, childishly amusing himself with painting her mouth with the strange substance. Serenity gave him a reproachful look that was quite spoiled by the ring of brown around her lips.

"Chilli," she enunciated clearly, "and when I tried to cool my mouth with wine, I ended up getting –"

"Drunk," he said helpfully, now drawing patterns on her face, glad that her impossibly long crystal hair was tied back.

"Drunk," she repeated, scowling at him. "And _now_, you expect me to believe this… this…"

"Chocolate," he grinned, and popped a piece in his mouth.

"Will you stop interrupting me!" she hissed, and the grin disappeared from his face to be replaced by an intent stare that made the colour rise in her face. "Erm… yes… and now you expect me to believe that this 'chocolate' is good to eat!"

"It _is_ good," Endymion spoke through a mouthful, amused in spite of her earlier reprimand as he admired the heart he had drawn on one cheek and the lopsided star on the other.

"It resembles offal," she sniffed in disgust and swatted at his arm with a dainty hand, leaving a long brown streak on a formerly pristine white sleeve, Immediately horrified, she began to babble apologies that were abruptly cut off as a sweet-tasting mouth descended on hers. Warmth flooded her, and she found herself _far _more interested in exploring this new activity with her friend than apologising.

When they separated, both were blushing furiously and blinking at each other like thunderstruck deer. Endymion muttered something about finishing some paperwork and bulleted from her presence. Serenity sputtered an excuse to the empty room about being late for an audience with her mother and retreated hastily – but when she was several floors away from an equally flustered Endymion, she licked her fingers clean and wished she had taken some chocolate with her before leaving the room.

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	2. Masks

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**A/N: You might want to have read _Endymion's Heritage _and _Serenity's Heritage_ for this one. Review, please?**

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_**_**Masks**_

They said she was the most radiant being in the universe; that she in her pure, unaltered beauty could drive a man to his knees.

But there is a saying; that beauty is pain, and indeed it was. No man would stand beside her, for if Serenity of the Moon outshone the very stars in the sky, she would humble any man – no matter how great – that dared approach her.

A lonely soul, she had only her senshi for comfort, and even then, as more than half goddess, she had lived many, many years before they had first come.

Endymion had often heard tales of Princess Serenity's alluring appearance as a child, and now, an outwardly solemn lad of thirteen and still resisting the urge to squirm during royal functions, he was quite sceptical. Surely no woman could be that beautiful?

He thought of his own mother, who sometimes appeared to him in a glade at the foot of the mighty fire-mountain from which she had descended directly into his father's arms. _She_ was beautiful – her hair was a dark mahogany, like the reddish wood his desk was fashioned from, and her eyes a stormy ocean blue that darkened with the swell of emotions, particularly when she was thinking of the man she had left behind for her son.

No, no one could possibly be prettier than Gaia, whose wild presence always left him exhilarated, or even Queen Selenity, of the silver hair and all-seeing lavender eyes

So Endymion resolved to one day meet this princess himself and put the questions in his mind to rest.

The opportunity came sooner than he imagined – the Terra and its satellite guardian were discussing alliances, and for some reason that Endymion heard but did not understand, he was to come with his father and the ambassador to arrange some sort of treaty.

The discussions between Queen Selenity and King Tenkaichi were long and monotonous, and, finally exasperated with his son's poorly-hidden fidgeting, the king turned Endymion loose and the young prince was invited by the queen to wander the palace as he would.

It was on one of these jaunts that he witnessed a girl – older than he, he thought, assessing her figure absently, perhaps sixteen or so – sitting by one of the royal fountains and trailing slender fingers through the clear water. She had crystalline hair that split the light about her into an ever-shifting glow of colour, and her white-clad form was petite and delicate.

Endymion came again the next day, and the day after that, never to speak or even see her face, but to watch her trail her fingers through the water, speak to the flowers and sing softly.

When one day he managed the courage to approach her, he did so cautiously, wary of disturbing her peace. To his surprise and near-alarm, she turned to look at him, and he saw that she wore a mask.

"Is there something I might help you with?" she asked gently, and he felt the queerest stirring in his chest as he heard her clear, melodic voice, pitched low so that only he could hear.

Endymion was silent for a few more moments as he tried to order his thoughts. "I'm Endymion," he managed, and almost cringed at the way his voice cracked.

She didn't laugh at him, merely smiled and stood, curtseying gracefully. "I am Serenity," she said.

And so began one of the most unusual friendships of the era.

As the years passed, Endymion often wondered what the simple mask concealed – it covered the entirety of Serenity's face, moulded so closely to her skin that he could only tell if she smiled or frowned by tiny inflections in her voice, and allowed not laughter or weeping in its rigidity. Did it hide a terrible burn, or a shameful blemish? He could not imagine her face to be any less attractive than the rest of her, but kept his opinion to himself.

He asked her about it on one of his visits, watching her braid her hair for sleep.

Her answer was unexpected: "because there is no curse greater than being set on a pedestal – you are fed praise, but long for good bread and wine."

The next question came uncharacteristically hurriedly as he inspected something in his hands, determinedly looking away from her. "May I see your face?"

There was a long pause, and for an agonising moment, regret swamped him as he realised he may have offended her deeply.

A rustle had his head lifting in surprise as she undid the ribbons tying the porcelain to her face; lavender-blue eyes met midnight sapphire deliberately before Serenity lifted the mask, and he was blinded, forever lost.

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End file.
